The caption at the top of this image follows the typical formula for honoring a martyr. Following common Muslim funerary epigraphy, the inscription opens with the basmalah (i.e., the words “bi-smi allahi al-rahman al-rahim,” or “in the name of God the merciful and compassionate”) and contains a quote from the Qu’ran (9:14), which reads: “qatiluhum, yu‘adhdhibuhum Allahu bi-aydikum wa-yukhzihim wa-yansurkum ‘alayhim; wa-yashfi sudura qawm al-mu’minin” (“fight them, God will make them suffer at your hands, sadden them and render you victorious against them; He will restore to health the hearts of faithful”). The inscription continues with the organization’s laudatory introduction for its deceased fighter, followed by his name and a description of the location and date of his death at the bottom. Here, the text reads: “taziffu harakat al-tahrir al-watani al-filastini (fatah) wa-kata’ib shuhada’ al-aqsa fi filastin shahidaha al-batal ‘alam ‘abd al-latif mustafa qunayri lladhi istashhada fi ma‘rakat al-difa‘ ‘an mukhayyam jinnin bi-ta’rikh 9/4/2002” (“the National Palestinian Movement of Liberation (Fatah) and al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade in Palestine announces the passing of its shahid [martyr], the hero ‘Allam ‘Abd al-Latif Mustafa Qunayri who died as a martyr in battle defending Jenin refugee camp on 9 April 2002”).
Notably, the deceased fighter is superimposed on a picture of the holy site of the Dome of the Rock. While Muslims across sectarian lines share a reverence for many holy sites, some sites hold special significance for certain groups. For instance, the Dome of the Rock (located in Jerusalem) is recognized and revered by all Muslims, as it was built in 692 A.D. by the Umayyid caliph ‘Abd al-Malik on the site where Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven in his mi‘raj (night journey). Indeed, it is considered the third holiest site in Islam after Mecca and al-Madina. At the same time, the Dome of the Rock is a powerful symbol of Palestinian nationhood.
(Note: according to Fatah’s records, the deceased’s last name is Sayis and he was twenty-six at the time of death; there is no record of Qunayri.)
